In today’s newsletter: The U.S. and Iran reach an agreement to end fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Recapping the thunderous pageantry from Trump’s UFC fight night at the White House. And a lesser-known number in your blood pressure reading provides a window into key health issues.
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Here’s what to know today.
U.S. and Iran reach framework for a new ceasefire deal
An agreement has been reached between the United States and Iran to end fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian officials.
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“I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” Trump said.
The draft includes an end to the war, including in Lebanon, and the withdrawal of U.S. forces, according to reporting from Iran’s state-affiliated Mehr News. It also contains a provision that Tehran reaffirm its commitment to abstain from producing nuclear weapons, and has points that oil and some financial sanctions on Iran will be lifted. Final negotiations will have a 60-day window, Mehr reported.
A signing was scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
The news came ahead of Trump’s trip to France today for the G7 summit, where he will meet with allies who are at odds with him over Iran and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Asked what the president might say at the meeting, Sen. Lindsey Graham told NBC News: “He’s going to vent about their [European leaders] lack of support in Iran. And I’m hoping he’ll reset and re-engage in Ukraine-Russia.”
It was also unclear how Israel would act moving forward, given the agreement was finalized despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be “leading clear policy” that states Israeli forces would remain in the “security zones” that Israel has established in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria.
Here’s what else we know about the agreement.
Follow the latest on our liveblog.
Staff Pick: White South African applicants say they feel forgotten under Trump’s refugee program
Coming to the U.S. as a refugee is currently out of reach to most people fleeing war and genocide. The Trump administration left one notable exception: white South Africans who say they face racial persecution — a claim that is strongly denied by the South African government and experts.
More than a year after Trump made this controversial change, one Afrikaner refugee applicant reached out to our NBC News tip line. He said he was among a group of people who applied early and now fear for their lives as their applications remain under review. This led me to speak with more than half a dozen refugee applicants who said that while they were still grateful to Trump for acknowledging their community, they now felt “forgotten” by him.
One man sold his business and cars in anticipation of leaving the country, but now funds are running out.
— Daniella Silva, national reporter
Inside Trump’s UFC night at the White House
In one of the most surreal sporting events in history, the UFC hosted a fight card on the South Lawn of the White House last night.
More than 4,000 spectators — Trump, Vice President JD Vance, members of his cabinet including Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, VIPs and active military members — were on hand as cage fights took place just feet from the Oval Office.
At one point, the crowd even sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump, who turned 80 yesterday, as he sat in the audience alongside UFC President Dana White.
The evening was defined by pageantry, knockouts and upsets. Fighters made cinematic entrances out of the White House and into the octagon, flanked by first responders and veterans, even including a Medal of Honor recipient.
Thousands of people flocked to the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. for a UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest earlier in the day, which turned into a watch party at night with massive screens.
“Americans,” one person said, “We like watching people fight.”
NBC News was on the ground covering the entire spectacle.
Britain unveils sweeping ban on social media for under-16s
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a sweeping ban on social media use for those under 16, joining other countries around the world seeking to protect children online.
“It’s a big step for our country,” Starmer said in a recorded video message released Monday. “Social media is making our children unhappy and unsafe, and as a parent, as much as a Prime Minister, I just can’t let that go on anymore,” he added.
The ban will include social platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, while there is no intention for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included, the government said in a release.
Here’s what to know about the ban.
The hidden number in your blood pressure reading
Your blood pressure reading contains a lesser-known number that can have a big impact on your health. It’s called pulse pressure, which can indicate how stiff your blood vessels are and provides a window into heart and brain health.
Doctors typically watch for high pulse pressure, but it’s not been widely used to diagnose health problems, said Dr. Charles Hong, the chair of medicine at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine.
Even so, elevated, or widened, pulse pressure is an established risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It may point to conditions such as atherosclerosis, which is when plaque builds up in the arteries.
If you keep your pulse pressure in check, “you may actually lower the risk of dying from dementia,” Hong said.
World Cup weekend recap
🇨🇮 vs. 🇪🇨 Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to lift Ivory Coast to a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in its first World Cup appearance in a dozen years.
🇯🇵 vs. 🇳🇱 A header by Japan’s Daichi Kamada in the 88th minute secured the team a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands.
🇨🇼 vs. 🇩🇪 Curaçao celebrated its historic first World Cup goal, made by Livano Comenencia, before Germany rolled to a 7-1 victory.
🇲🇦 vs. 🇧🇷 Morocco’s draw against Brazil showed its potential to be the tournament’s ultimate dark horse.
🗓 What to watch today: Spain takes on Cape Verde. Then, Belgium faces Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, followed by Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and Iran and New Zealand. See the full schedule.
📩 Join the excitement: Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for more in-depth World Cup coverage.
Read All About It
- American singer Oliver Tree was listed as a passenger on one of two helicopters that collided midair and crashed in Brazil, killing all six people aboard.
- The stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon has been found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of domestic violence and other crimes and is sentenced to four years in prison, an Oslo court ruled.
- A woman died after being thrown from a bridge without proper bungee cord equipment in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Sen. Mitch McConnell was hospitalized yesterday, according to his spokesperson, who did not share additional details.
- All 12 people on board a skydiving plane that crashed shortly after takeoff are presumed dead, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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